Finding toys that do not play on gender stereotypes is a lot easier these days than it used to be. Although there is still plenty of pink and lavender out there that screams--Girls Only and plenty of black with skulls and eyeballs shouting--Boys Only, there are less gender specific choices that will be enjoyed by children of either sex. Click here to read more.

You may know Rico Rodriguez from ABC's Modern Family - he plays the wonderfully introspective Manny. (He's the boy in the pink shirt all the way to the left). In an admittedly celebrity spokesperson situation, Rico has been named Kmart's Ambassador of Fun. So we decided to ask Rico how it feels to be such an Ambassador and what he likes to play with now that he's 12. Read our interview.

A recent article in the New York Times indicates a renewed interest in the learning value of block building. Parents and teachers attending block classes are discovering the connections between learning and play. What's the buzz about? Read our take on this hot topic...

When you hear the words "educational toys" chances are you think at once of drill and practice toys that are about as entertaining as chalk squeaking on a board. We know that play itself is one of the important paths to various kinds of learning. Read More...

I'm often asked about my own journey into toyland. After all, reviewing toys is quite different than practicing law. So I started to wonder how other people ended up here too. What inspired them to design and create the toys we review all year long? If you've ever seen some of the amazingly large LEGO builds, chances are you already have seen the work of LEGO Master Builder Erik Varszegi. Read our interview.

Stephanie shared some of the early front runners for top toys of 2010 on NBC's TODAY Show on Friday, March 5th. Click here to watch the segment. After attending the American International Toy Fair in New York last month, the toyportfolio.com kicks into gear for a new season of toy testing with their testers throughout the country. As the toys start rolling in, we'll be posting reviews as we go- rather than making consumers wait until the end of the year. Toys that receive an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award during the Spring and Summer, will be nominated for the year-end Platinum Awards. Read Stephanie's blog for a preview of some promising toys.

February is Black History Month, a tradition that began in the early part of the 20th Century. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves, became a scholar and was disturbed that black Americans and their contributions were ignored in history books. Dr. Woodson, earned his Ph.D. from Harvard, and later became known as the Father of Black Month.